I Liked My Life(88)

“Did Kara indicate she asked or otherwise coerced your mom to step out on the ledge?”

“No. She said her instinct was to jump before my mother could get help.”

“Did Kara in any way indicate her movements on the ledge caused your mom to fall?”

“No. She said she was already headed toward the door.”

“But she knew your mom fell?”

“Yeah, she heard her scream.”

I listen in awe. Eve’s recall is impeccable. She rationally delivers this sensitive material in a way I never could’ve at her age. Or now. Imagine what this afternoon was like for my daughter: she consumed facts that are, at most lenient, emotional and, at most accurate, life altering. Then she thought about them, independently, and developed her position. And now she’s here supporting me, even though we disagree. Seventeen going on thirty.

The detectives stand. “What now?” I ask.

“We question Kara.”

Eve and I wait in silence. After a few minutes she reaches over and squeezes my hand twice. A simple gesture of backing. She’s telling me we’re a team. No matter what.

Neither officer makes eye contact when they return. “Kara’s story was consistent,” the older one says, “although harder to understand because she’s still quite intoxicated.”

They exchange glances to determine, without speaking, who will break the news. The rookie loses the silent argument. “We talked to the D.A. and there’s really no action for us to take at this point. Miss Anderson did not commit a criminal act.”

“How is that possible?” I sneer. “She knew it wasn’t suicide and failed to come forward. How is that not illegal?” Eve stays mute, willing me to drop it, but I can’t be the bigger person here. Maddy believed in showing love, compassion, and forgiveness, but some things are unpardonable.

“The fact is, Madeline’s death was an accident. The only possible argument for liability would be that she created a perilous situation for your wife, and then failed to make an effort to protect her.”

“That’s true. That’s what happened.”

He scratches his cheek. “It’s a stretch. She only really created a perilous situation for herself. Your wife stepped into it voluntarily.”

“Can’t you argue that by going out on a ledge, you’re creating danger for anyone that finds you? Obviously if someone notices you’re there, they’re going to try to help.”

“Even if we could prove that, your wife slipped. There’s nothing the state could argue Kara could’ve done to save her. For a charge to stick, she needs to have failed to take action.”

I shake my head defiantly. “She killed my wife.”

The older officer sighs. “Because of her your wife is dead, no one is arguing that, but she didn’t kill her.”

“What about the fact that she didn’t report it? Isn’t that negligence or accessory or something?”

“There’s no law in Massachusetts that you have to report a crime. Not to mention that we just concluded there was no crime. And keep in mind that she’s a kid. She was probably scared to come forward.”

I need to conjure up an angle that puts Kara in a position to pay.

I catch Eve’s eye. She looks so much like Maddy, sitting there, waiting for me to come to my senses. A wave of oxygen courses through me. That’s it. That’s why Eve is so serene. She’s thinking of it the way Maddy would have: everything happens for a reason. So what’s the reason Eve sees that I’m missing?

It’s a fact that we learned more from Maddy’s death because we thought it was a suicide. If I’d known it was an accident, I would’ve been angry at the world and retreated to work. I wouldn’t have questioned my life, my priorities. And if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have worked so hard to find common ground with Eve. And if I hadn’t done that, I would’ve become a bitter workaholic with an estranged daughter. Kara’s cover-up was to my benefit. The epiphany calms me.

Eve and I stand to leave as though on cue. I put my arm around her and she clasps into my side, our physical closeness no longer uncomfortable. We leave the officers confused by what transpired during the silence. As we walk away, the older one calls out, “We’ll get that death certificate changed, though.”





EPILOGUE





TEN YEARS LATER


Eve

I’m the matron of honor in Rory’s wedding.

Robert is even crunchier than she is. He’s such a passionate advocate for natural beauty that Rory grew out her roots as a wedding present. She’s only fifty, but she prances around with silver hair and an AARP card, saying things like “When I grow old I shall wear purple.” I joked that Madeline will think her auntie is the Fairy Godmother.

“Fairy Grandmother is more like it,” she said with a snort.

Brian agrees with his sister that her hair makes her look older. Change is hard for him, but eventually, he gets there.

Rory was the maid of honor at our wedding three years ago. For her speech she said: I’d take credit for my dear friend and younger brother falling in love, but they did that on their own. A lawyer and a writer might seem an unlikely match, but what better combination is there than confidence and curiosity?